Pneumatic thread collector system for weft replenishing looms



selit. 11, 1951 c. P. BERGSTROM ETAL 2,567,540

PNEUMATIC THREAD COLLECTOR SYSTEM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS 2 Sheet's-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1950 M 0 sm m mR E P L R A c 2 ii. i

BENJAMIN W. BROUWER ATTORNEY.

P 1951 c. P. BERGSTROM ETAL 6 PNEUMATIC THREAD COLLECTOR SYSTEM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed April 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CARL P BERG'STROM BENJAMIN W. BROUWER ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 11, 1951 PNEUMATIC THREAD COLLECTOR SYSTEM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING .LOOMS I Carl P. Bergstrom, Millbury, and Benjamin W. Brouwer, Auburn, Masa, assignors to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 15, 1950, Serial No. 156,204

I 13 Claims. (01. 139-256) This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic thread collector systems for weft replenishing looms equipped with reserve bobbins from which weft ends extend and it is the general object of the invention to provide a thread collector so made that it may be conveniently opened for removal of waste weft ends which accumulate as the result of replenishing operations.

In a bobbin changing operation of a weft replenishing loom two threads ordinarily remain which must be removed from the path of the shuttle to prevent them from being drawn into the warp shed. One of these threads is connected to the outgoing or exhausted bobbin and the other is attached to the incoming or freshly transferred bobbin. It has been proposed heretofore to control these threads pneumatically and to provide for collecting them in an inclosed compartment, such as thread accumulator or collector, from which they may be removed from time to time. The thread collector is generally used in association with a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of the reserve bobbins in the magazine. Such collectors have in the past been provided with some form of removable cover attached to a hose or the like leading to a pump whichcreates subatmospheric pressures. The cover has ordinarily been held in position by a simple form of wire clamp and no provision has been made for supporting the cover in its open or inoperative position.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a thread collector of the type specified with a cover mounted on a. support which will hold it in open position so that the Weaver's hands may be free for removing weft threads within the collector. The cover may conveniently be mounted on a'lever pivoted to some part of the loom, preferably the stand which supports the thread collector, and swingable from closed to open position and be held in either of the two extreme positions to which it may be moved by a spring or the like.

. The pneumatic pump which creates subatmospheric pressures for the thread control system is ordinarily connected to the cover of the thread collector by means of a hose or the like, but when the cover is swung around its support to open position stresses are set up in the hose which tend to cause it to return to its normal position, thereby exerting forces which may move the cover away from its open position and against the hand of an operator who is removing waste threads from the collector.

It is another object of the present invention to mount the previously mentioned cover for rotation on the aforesaid lever so that as the cover and lever swing to open position the cover can turn in such direction as to relieve the aforesaid stresses in the hose. In actual practice it is found that the cover turns automatically as it swings to open position, and turns in a reverse direction when returning to its normal closed position. This turning of the cover occurs without manipulation on the part of the weaver other than that required to move the lever.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is set forth.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a loom with the invention applied thereto and. showing the cover for the thread collector in its normal closed position,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2, I

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line. 45 -4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to a portion ,o'fFig. 2 but showing the cover in the open position .to permit removal of waste thread from the collector, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 5, showing the cover in the position to which it turns when moved to open position.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame I supports a reserve bobbin magazine M which in the present instance is of the stationary multi-color type and may accommodate four stacks of reserve bobbins, which, however, are not shown. Weft ends W extend from the reserve bobbins to a pneumatic thread holder H which may be of the general form shown in prior Patent No. 2,431,556 issued to Hooper and Sepavich to receive a reserve bobbin. The driving mechanism for the loom comprises a motor 5 supported on a stand 6 secured to and extending laterally from the loom frame. The motor has a pinion I meshing with a gear 6 mounted for free turning on the top shaft 2. Clutch mechanism 3 of any desired form may be utilized to interconnect the top shaft and gear 6 when loom operation is desired.

A vacuum pump III is mounted on the stand 6 and is driven by a pinion I I meshing with the gear 8. Extending upwardly from the pump is a pipe l2 which is preferably rigid with the pump and serves as an intake for air to be exhausted from the pneumatic system.

Extending laterally from the loom frame is a support or bracket l to which is attached a stand l6. This stand supports the holder H which in turn has secured thereto the hollow thread collector C so that the forward end of the latter, the left as viewed in Fig. 2, is supported by the stand l6. The type of thread holder and thread collector shown specifically herein is ordinarily associated with means for intermittently subjecting the threads at the intake mouth to subatmospheric pressures by means of a lever pivoted at I! on the holder H and controlled by a rod I3 which extends rearwardly for actuation by a lever 20 having a roll 2| for engagement with a cam 22 secured to the top shaft 2.

Secured to and extending upwardly from the pipe I2 is a hose or tubular member 25 the left or forward end of which as viewed in Fig. 2 is pneumatically connected to the interior of the thread collector C so that under normal conditions the pump Ill creates subatmospheric pressures in the collector.

The matter thus far described may be similar to the aforesaid Hooper and Sepavich patent, although it is to be understood that certain features of the invention are not limited to the type of thread holder set forth in that patent, nor are they limited to the stationary magazine M for reserve bobbins.

The collector C has a cover 30 shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4 and including a preferably sheet metal bell or the like 3| having an air chamber 32 across which extends a porous diaphragm 33 made for instance of felt or the like. Extending around the rim of the cover is a washer 34 which may also be made of felt. The diaphragm and washer may be secured in any manner, as by cementing, to the periphery of the cover.

The stand |6 has a laterally extending arm 35 to which is secured a stud 36 adjustable along a slot 31 in the arm and held in adjusted position by a nut 38. Pivoted on stud 36 is the hub 40 of a cover carrying lever 4| provided at a point adjacent to the stud 36 with an upstanding lug 42 to which is attached one end of a positioning spring 43. The other end of the spring is held by a pin 44 held in adjusted but fixed position with respect to the stand l6.

As indicated in Fig. 4 the cover 30 has the central part thereof dome shaped as at 45 and a pin or stem 46 is secured to the dome, as by welding or brazing. The lever is provided with a bore 41 which is slightly larger in diameter than the dimeter of the stem 46 so that the latter has a loose fit with the lever 4|. The stem 46 extends through the lever 4| and has the rear end thereof on the side of the lever opposite to the cover 30 surrounded by a compression spring 50 between the lever and a positioning nut 5| adjustable on the screw threaded end 52 of the stem. A lock nut 63 may be employed if desired to hold the adjusted setting of the spring 56.

Extending outwardly from and secured to the web 55 of the cover is a metal tube 56 having a part 51 more or less parallel to the axis of the collector C and having a bent free end 58 which extends preferably substantially parallel to the cover, or at least tranesverse of the axis of the cylindrical collector C when the cover is closed. The forward end of the hose or tubular member 25 is secured or cemented to the free end 56 of tube 56 to prevent entrance of air. The interior of tube 56 communicates with the air chamber 32 so that when the pump is turning a partial vacuum exists within the collector C.

Under normal conditions the cover, tube 56, and hose or tubular member 25 will be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the spring 43 holding the cover in its normal closed position. When it isdesired to open the cover for the removal of accumulated waste threads a hand hold 60 on the forward part of the lever will be swung rearwardly and toward the loom frame, or in a counter-clockwise direction around the stud 36 as viewed in Fig. 2. Since the rear end of the hose 25 is cemented or otherwise secured to the pipe l2, and the forward end of the hose is secured to the free end 58 of the metal tube 56. this tuming of the lever 4i will set up torsional stresses or strains in the hose 25 which cause the latter to resist movement of the cover to its open posi-.

tion. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the amount of angular motion of the cover from its normal closed to its open position may be something more than a one-quarter turn, and there will be a corresponding angular motion of one end of hose 2! with respect to its other end. The hose is made of a resilient tube having walls sufficiently thick to withstand the difference between outside atmospheric' pressures and the subatmospheric pressures existing within it created by the pump ll. Because of the strength and comparative stillness of hose 25 it exerts a resisting or opposing force opposite to the direction of twisting, and this opposing force tends to move the cover back to its closed position. As the lever 4| is swung from the closed position shown in Fig. 2 to the open position shown in Fig. 5, however, the cover turns with respect to the lever in response to the opposed forces to reduce or dissipate the effect of this force. The net effect of turning of the cover is that the hose exerts little or no force tending to close the cover.

As shown in Fig. 3 the free end 58 is disposed at one side of the axis of turning of the cover and extends upwardly and to the right as viewed in that figure when the cover is in its normal closed position. When the cover is swung to open position it turns in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 3, to the position shown in Fig. 6 in which the free end 56 extends to the left and the part 51 of tube 56- is more or less over the axis of rotation of the cover. This turning of the cover is automatic and requires no attention from the operator. When the cover is in the position shown in Fig. 5 the spring 43 has moved to the side of stud 36 opposite to the side on which it is normally located, as shown in Fig. 2. The sprin 43 therefore aids in holding the cover and lever in the position shown in Fig. 5, but it is not required to exert very .much force, inasmuch as turning of the cover relieves the greater part of the strains which are set up in the hose 25 'incident to swinging of the lever 4| around its pivot stud 36.

After the waste threads have been removed from the collector C the operator will return the lever 4| to its normal position by means of the hand hold 60, and as the cover assumes its normal closed position there is a reverse turning of the cover on the lever so that the parts will return to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The part 51 of the tube 56 in the particular adaptation of the invention shown extends over the lever 4| so that the latter is between the cover and the free end 58 and may serve as a stop to limit angular motion of the cover. This, however, is not essential although desirable and it is found in actual operation that the cover can come to normal position without necessarily entailing engagement of the tube 56 with the lever. I

In the form of the invention shown the pipe l2 extends upwardly from the.pump and the tube 56 is normally above the lever 4|, but in another adaptation of the invention which has been made the pipe I2 extends downwardly and the tube 56 is below the lever 4|. In this other adaptation, not specifically set forth herein, it is observed that the cover turns to relieve torsional strains in the hose 25 in a manner already described.

Although the thread collector C has been shown as having a horizontal axis certain features of the invention are not necessarily limited to a thread collector in this position. The rotary mounting of the cover on the lever also preferably has its axis coincident with that of the hollow cylinder or collector C, but slight differences in the locations of these two axes can occur without impairment of proper operation of the invention. The member 30 is in eiTect a disk-like cover and the free end 58 of the tube 56 preferably extends in a direction more or less in the plane of the cover. As shown in Fig. 2 the pump l and the rear end of the hose 25 are nearer the loom frame I than are the thread collector and its cover. When the cover swings to the open position of Fig. 5 there is some rearward displacement of the forward end of the hose 25, but the latter is sufficiently long so that any effort which it may make to return to its normal shape can easily be overcome by the spring 43.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth simple means whereby a pneumatic thread collector for a weft replenishing loom is provided with a cover mounted so that it can be swung to open position and be held in that position while the operator is removing waste threads from the interior of the collector.

It will also be seen that the cover is rotatably mounted on its suport and is ableto rotate when being moved to open position to prevent the building up in the hose of stresses which if not relieved would tend to move the cover back to its normal closed position. It will be seen that the invention sets forth a convenient unit including a stand or the like which not only supports one end of the thread collector but also supports the lever and cover so that the latter parts are always in correct registering position with respect to the thread collector. The cap Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1 In a pneumatic thread control system for a weft replenishing loom having a source of sub atmospheric pressures and a hollow collector for waste threads, a cover normally closing the col lector, means mounting the cover for rotation thereon and about an axis around which the cover swings when moving away from the closed position thereof, and a resilient tubular member secured at one end thereof to said source and having the other end thereof fixed with respect to the cover, said cover when turning about said axis in a direction away from the closed position thereof tending to create torsional strains in said tubular member but turning relatively to said means in a direction to reduce said torsional strain.

2. In a pneumatic thread control system for a weft replenishing loom having a source of subatmospheric pressures and a hollow collector for waste threads, a cover for the collector normally in position to close the collector, a resilient hollow member secured at one end thereof to the cover and secured at the other end thereof to said source by which the latter creates subatmospheric pressures within the collector, a support for the cover pivoted on the loom to move the cover angularly away from the normal closed position thereof and simultaneously create a torsional stress in said resilient member, and means mounting the cover for rotation on said support enabling the cover to turn relatively to the support in a direction to reduce said torsional stress in said member when the cover moves away from the closed position thereof.

3. In a pneumatic thread control system for a weft replenishing loom having a source of subatmospheric pressures and a hollow collector for waste threads, a cover for the collector normally in closed position with respect to the collector, a support for the cover mounting the latter for bodily angular movement to open position to permit removal of waste thread from the interiorv of the collector, a resilient tubular member secured to the cover and source to transmit subatmospheric pressures from the source to the interior of the collector, said tubular member exerting a force on the cover when the latter is in the open position thereof tending to move the cover to the closed position thereof, and means mounting the cover for rotation on the support, said cover turning with respect to the support in response to said force to reduce said force and thereby reduce the tendency of said tubular member to move the cover from the open to the closed position thereof.

4. The pneumatic thread control system set.

forth in claim 3 wherein the lever is acted on by a spring which tends to hold the cover inclosed position and opposes the tendency of said tubular member to move the cover from the open toward resilient tubular member secured to said source and cover to connect said source pneumatically with the interior of the collector when the cover is in closed position, said tubular member being connected to the cover at a P int spaced from said mounting means and having a torsional stress set up therein when the lever moves angularly to move the cover toward open position, and the cover thereupon turning relatively to the lever to relieve said torsional stress.

6. In a pneumatic thread control system for a weft replenishing loom having a source of subatmospheric pressures and a cylindrical hollow collector for waste threads, a disk like cover for the collector normally in closed position, a lever pivoted to the loom at one side of the axis of the collector, means mounting the cover for rotation on the lever, a tube rigid with the cover and having a part thereof extending substantially parallel to the cover, and a resilient tubular member secured at one end thereof to said source and secured at the other end thereof to said part of the tube, said lever being swingable to move the cover away from the closed position thereof, said tubular member being twisted because of connection thereof with said tube when the cover and lever move angularly away from closed position and due to said twisting exerting a force tending to resist movement of the cover away from the closed position thereof, and said cover rotating relatively to the lever due to said mounting means to relieve the twist in said tubular member and reduce the tendency of the latter to resist movement of the cover away from the closed position thereof.

7. In a pneumatic thread control system for a weft replenishing loom having a source of subatmospheric pressures provided with a vertical inlet pipe, the loom having also a hollow cylindrical thread collector for waste threads having the axis thereof horizontal, a lever pivoted on the loom to swing in a horizontal plane, a disk cover rotatable on the lever normally in osition to close said collector but swingable angularly with the lever bodily in a horizontal plane, a tube rigid with said cover having a part thereof terminating out'of alignment with the axis of turning of the cover relatively to the lever, said part of the tube being substantially parallel to said disk cover, and a resilient tubular member secured at one end thereof to said inlet pipe and secured at the other end thereof to said part of the tube, said cover when swinging away from the closed position thereof tending to set up a torsional strain in said tubular member but rotating relatively to the lever to relieve said torsional strain.

, 8. A thread collector unit for the pneumatic thread control system of a weft replenishing loom, said unit comprising a stand, an elongated hollow thread collector supported at one end thereof on the stand, a cover for the other end of a collector, a lever pivoted on said stand swingable relatively to the latter away from the other end of the collector, means mounting the cover for rotation on the lever in a plane transverse of the axis of said collector, and a tube rigid with the cover having a part thereof substantially parallel to said plane.

9. A thread collector unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein a spring is interposed between the stand and lever and normally holds the cover in closed position relative to the collector.

10. A thread collector unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein a spring has one end thereof connected to the stand and has the other end thereof connected to the lever at a point between the axis about which the lever is swinaable and said mounting means, the spring normally holding the cover in closed position relative to the collector.

11. A thread collector unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein the cover is on one side of the lever and said part of the tube is on the other side of the lever and the portion of the tube between said part thereof and the cover serves by engagement with the lever to limit rotation of the cover around the axis thereof.

12. A thread collector unit for the pneumatic thread control system of a weft replenishing loom,

said unit comprising a stand, a cylindrical hollow thread collector supported at one end thereof on the stand, a cover for the other end of a collector, a lever pivoted on said stand and swingable relatively to the latter in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of said collector. means mounting the cover for rotation on the lever in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the collector when the cover is in closed position relative to the collector, and a rigid tube secured to the cover and having a free end substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the cover on the lever.

13. A thread collector unit for the P atic thread control system of a wei't replenishing loom, said unit comprising a stand, a cylindrical hollow thread collector supported at one end thereof on the stand, a cover for the other end of a collector,

- a lever pivoted on said stand, means mounting the cover for rotation on the lever about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of the collector when the cover is in closed position with respect to said other end of the collector, and a tube rigid with the cover having a free end extending substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the cover on the lever and terminatinz at a point spaced from the axis of the cover, said mounting means enabling the cover to rotate on the lever when a force is exerted on said free end of the tube in a direction at one side of said axis of the cover.

CARL P. BERGSTROM.

BENJAMIN W. BROUWER.

No references cited. 

